Scribd
Upload
61 views

Cse303 Elements of The Theory of Computation: Professor Anita Wasilewska

This document discusses closures, algorithms, and the reflexive transitive closure of binary relations. It contains the following key points: 1. It defines closures as sets that are closed under certain operations, and provides examples like natural numbers being closed under addition but not subtraction. 2. It presents two definitions of the reflexive transitive closure R* of a binary relation R: (1) R* is the smallest relation containing R that is reflexive and transitive, and (2) R* contains all pairs (a,b) such that there is a path from a to b in R. 3. It proves the equivalence of the two definitions of R* and establishes that

Uploaded by

Anonymous G0oZQa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
61 views

Cse303 Elements of The Theory of Computation: Professor Anita Wasilewska

This document discusses closures, algorithms, and the reflexive transitive closure of binary relations. It contains the following key points: 1. It defines closures as sets that are closed under certain operations, and provides examples like natural numbers being closed under addition but not subtraction. 2. It presents two definitions of the reflexive transitive closure R* of a binary relation R: (1) R* is the smallest relation containing R that is reflexive and transitive, and (2) R* contains all pairs (a,b) such that there is a path from a to b in R. 3. It proves the equivalence of the two definitions of R* and establishes that

Uploaded by

Anonymous G0oZQa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 23

cse303

ELEMENTS OF THE THEORY OF


COMPUTATION
Professor Anita Wasilewska

LECTURE 3

CHAPTER 1
SETS, RELATIONS, and LANGUAGES
6. Closures and Algorithms
7. Alphabets and Languages
8. Finite Representation of Languages

CHAPTER 1
PART 6: Closures and Algorithms

Closures - Intuitive
Idea
Natural numbers N are closed under +, i.e. for given two
natural numbers n, m we always have that n + m N
Natural numbers N are not closed under subtraction , i.e
there are two natural numbers n, m such that n m < N, for
example 1, 2 N and 1 2 < N
Integers Z are closed under, moreover Z is the smallest set
containing N and closed under subtraction
The set Z is called a closure of N under subtraction

Closures - Intuitive
Consider the two directed graphs R (a) and R (b) as
shown below

Observe that R = R {(ai , ai ) : i = 1, 2, 3, 4} {(a2 , a4 )} ,


R R and is R is reflexive and transitive whereas R is
neither, moreover R is also the smallest set containing R
that is reflexive and transitive
We call such relation R the reflexive, transitive closure of R
We define this concept formally in two ways and prove the
equivalence of the two definitions

Two Definitions of R
Definition 1 of R
R is called a reflexive, transitive closure of R iff R R
and is R is reflexive and transitive and is the smallest set with
these properties
This definition is based on a notion of a closure property
which is any property of the form the set B is closed under
relations R1 , R2 , . . . , Rm
We define it formally and prove that reflexivity and transitivity
are closures properties
Hence we justify the name: reflexive, transitive closure of R
for R

Two Definitions of R
Definition 2 of R
Let R be a binary relation on a set A
The reflexive, transitive closure of R is the relation
R = {(a , b ) A A :

there is a path from a to b in R}

This is a much simpler definition- and algorithmically more


interesting as it uses a simple notion of a path
We hence start our investigations from it- and only later
introduce all notions needed for the Definition 1 in order to
prove that the R defined above is really what its name says:
the reflexive, transitive closure of R

Definition 2 of R
We bring back the following
Definition
A path in the binary relation R is a finite sequence
a1 , . . . , an such that (ai , ai +1 ) R , for i = 1, 2, . . . n 1 and n 1
The path a1 , . . . , an is said to be from a1 to an
The path a1 (case when n = 1) always exist and is called a
trivial path from a1 to a1
Definition 2
Let R be a binary relation on a set A
The reflexive, transitive closure of R is the relation
R = {(a , b ) A A :

there is a path from a to b in R}

Algorithms
Definition 2 immediately suggests an following algorithm for
computing the reflexive transitive closure R of any given
binary relation R over some finite set A = {a1 , a2 , . . . , an }
Algorithm 1
Initially R := 0
for i = 1, 2, . . . , n do
for each i- tuple (b1 , . . . , bi ) A i do
if b1 , . . . , bi is a path in R then add (b1 , bn ) to R

Algorithms
The Book develops and prove correctness of afollowing much
faster algorithm
Algorithm 2
Initially R := R {(ai , ai ) : ai A }
for j = 1, 2, . . . , n do
for i = 1, 2, . . . , n and k = 1, 2, . . . , n do
if (ai , aj ), (aj , ak ) R but (ai , ak ) < R
then add (ai , ak ) to R

Closure Property Formal


We introduce now formally a concept of a closure property of
a given set
Definition
Let D be a set, let n 0 and
let R D n+1 be a (n + 1)-ary relation on D
Then the subset B of D is said to be closed under R
if bn+1 B whenever (b1 , . . . , bn , bn+1 ) R
Any property of the form the set B is closed under relations
R1 , R2 , . . . , Rm is called a closure property of B

Closure Property Examples


Observe that any function f : D n D is a special
relation f D n+1 so we have also defined what does it mean
that a set A D is closed under the function f
E1:

+ is a closure property of N

Adition is a function + : N N N defined by a formula


+(n, m) = n + m , i.e. it is a relation + N N N such
that

+ = {(n, m, n + m) : n, m N }
Obviously the set N N is (formally) closed under +
because
for any n, m N we have that (n, m, n + m) +

Closures Property Examples


E2:

is a closure property of 2N

2N 2N 2N is defined as
(A , B , C )

iff A B = C

and the following is true for all A , B , C 2N


if A , B 2N and (A , B , C ) then C 2N

Closure Property Fact1


Since relations are sets, we can speak of one relation as
being closed under one or more others
We show now the following
CP Fact 1
Transitivity is a closure property
Proof
Let D be a set, let Q be a ternary relation on D D, i.e.
Q (D D )3 be such that
Q = {((a , b ), (b , c ), (a , c )) :

a, b, c D}

Observe that for any binary relation R D D ,


R is closed under Q if and only if R is transitive

CP Fact1 Proof
The definition of closure of R under Q says: for any
x , y , z D D,
if x , y R and (x , y , z ) Q then z R
But (x , y , z ) Q

iff x = (a , b ), y = (b , c ), z = (a , c )

(a , b ), (b , c ) R implies (a , c ) R
is a true statement for all a , b , c D iff R is transitive

and

Closure Property Fact2


We show now the following
CP Fact 2
Reflexivity is a closure property
Proof
Let D , , we define an unary relation Q 0 on D D, i.e.
Q 0 D D as follows
Q 0 = {(a , a ) : a D }
Observe that for any R binary relation on D, i.e. R D D
we have that
R is closed under Q 0 iff R is reflexive

Closure Property Theorem


CP Theorem
Let P be a closure property defined by relations on a set D,
and let A D
Then there is a unique minimal set B such that B A and
B has property P

Two Definition of R Revisited


Definition 1
R is called a reflexive, transitive closure of R iff R R
and is R is reflexive and transitive and is the smallest set with
these properties
Definition 2
Let R be a binary relation on a set A
The reflexive, transitive closure of R is the relation
R = {(a , b ) A A :

there is a path from a to b in R}

EquivalencyTheorem
R of the Definition 2 is the same as R of the Definition 1
and hence richly deserves its name reflexive, transitive
closure of R

Equivalency of Two Definition of R


Proof Let
R = {(a , b ) A A :

there is a path from a to b in R}

R is reflexive for there is a trivial path (case n=1) from a to


a, for any a A
R is transitive as for any a , b , c A
if there is a path from a to b and a path from b to c, then there
is a path from a to c
Clearly R R because there is a path from a to b
whenever (a , b ) R

Equivalency of Two Definition of R


Consider a set S of all binary relations on A that contain R
and are reflexive and transitive, i.e.

S = {Q A A : R Q and Q is reflexive and transitive }


We have just proved that R S
We prove now that R is the smallest set in the poset
(S, ), i.e. that for any Q S we have that R Q

Equivalency of Two Definition of R


Assume that (a , b ) R . By Definition 2 there is a path
a = a1 , . . . . , ak = b from a to b and let Q S
We prove by Mathematical Induction over the length k of the
path from a to b
Base case:

k=1

We have that the path is a = a1 = b, i.e. (a , a ) R and


(a , a ) Q from reflexivity of Q
Inductive Assumption:
Assume that for any (a , b ) R such that there is a path of
length k from a to b we have that (a , b ) Q

Equivalency of Two Definition of R


Inductive Step:
Let (a , b ) R be now such that there is a path of length k+1
from a to b , i.e there is a a path a = a1 , . . . , ak , ak +1 = b
By inductive assumption (a = a1 , ak ) Q and by definition of
the path (ak , ak +1 = b ) R
But R Q hence (ak , ak +1 = b ) Q and (a , b ) Q by
transitivity
This ends the proof that Definition 2 of R implies the
Definition1
The inverse implication follows from the previously proven fact
that reflexivity and transitivity are closure properties

You might also like